Langford House to be demolished

Press, 12 February 1982, Page 4

Langford House to be demolished

Langford House will probably be demolished to clear the site for industrial development.

Nearly all the 52 residents have moved out since the Canterbury Aged People’s Welfare Council decided to close its Sydenham residential home for the elderly on March 31.

The council's secretarymanager, Mr J. J. Chadderton, said yesterday that several prospective developers were interested in the indus-trial-zoned site. The council had already declined a takeover proposal from a charitable institution because the humanitarian offer was no longer needed. Alternative accommodation was being arranged for four of the eight residents still left at Langford House.

“Really we are just worrying about the last four,” Mr Chadderton said.

Another group of private individuals interested in buying the rest home had inspected the site before Christmas but had made no firm offer. “If nothing comes from that very shortly we will put Langford House on the market,” said Mr Chadderton.

The original building had already been condemned as a maternity hospital when the council bought the property in 1952. Since then more buildings had been added but increased running costs and the growing number of old people’s . homes in Christchurch had led to the decision to close. The Battersea Street property has a 1979 capital valuation of $270,000.